Truth, Lies and Staying Alive
by Mockingjay500
Summary: A collection of one-shots about the Capitol Butterfly and the Drunken Mentor, otherwise known as Effie Trinket and Haymitch Abernathy. Set throughout the trilogy as well as before and after. [May contain some Mockingjay part 2 spoilers]
1. Trust Me

**A/N: So hi there! I've come to have a fair bit of writing muse in terms of one-shots since watching Mockingjay Part 2 (if you haven't seen it yet, why not? It's amazing!) Anyway, I don't feel like constantly posting new stories for just a few hundred or so words so welcome to my Hayffie one-shot collection :D**

 **Stories will be set at various points throughout the trilogy as well as before and after. Not likely to be any sort of chronological order either as I'll just be writing as the ideas come, and sometimes I have more than one idea on how something could have worked out (such as Effie ending up in 13) so there could be multiple one-shots about the same thing.**

 **Ramble over, hope you enjoy!**

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Katniss and Johanna left the group, taking the coil of wire down to the beach whilst Peeta and Finnick stayed to protect Beetee. It was time.

Haymitch stood, and started to walk towards the door. Suddenly he stopped, hesitating before he turned to face Effie. She was still sitting on the sofa, though her eyes were now watching him rather than the screen. She looked puzzled, clearly trying to work out what he was doing but not wishing to pry. She knew him well enough to know that he was a private man and respected him enough to let him be. She trusted that if he wanted her to know, he would tell her.

The trouble was, he wanted her to know. From the moment he saw her fighting to maintain her composure at the Quarter Quell reaping, he wanted to tell her that there was a plan. The rebels would free the Victors-Turned-Tributes from the arena. But he couldn't. Plutarch had been very insistent that they needed as few people as possible to know. Even Katniss and Peeta weren't told in case their inexperience with the Capitol caused them to somehow slip up. They hadn't spent as much time faking their way through life as the others had. If they knew they would be rescued, would their performance in the arena really be convincing? Given their recent poor attempt to convince President Snow they were in love, Plutarch was unwilling to risk it.

Effie was a definite no, too, Plutarch had told Haymitch when he suggested she be told the truth. She was born and raised in the Capitol, and Plutarch wasn't convinced that her loyalty to Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta was stronger than her loyalty to the Capitol. So Haymitch had reluctantly kept his mouth shut. At least she would honestly be able to deny all knowledge, he reasoned.

But now, as he stared at her, the thoughts he had so carefully locked away slipped through the cracks. Even if she did have no knowledge, what was to say the Capitol would believe her? The chances they wouldn't torture her were slim, and at the very least she would be imprisoned. It would break her. She put on a good performance with her chin up and her smile on, but Haymitch had come to know her well, and a performance was all it was now. She wore the makeup, the wigs and the dresses just as everyone else did in the Capitol, but it was a mask she hid behind. Beneath it all, Haymitch knew she had her vulnerabilities. She wouldn't cope with torture. Unbidden, an image crept into his mind of a dishevelled Effie in a prison cell, knees at her chest with her arms wrapped around them, too numb to even cry. He swallowed, pushing the thought away as he made his decision.

"Come with me." He said softly. She blinked, and he started to walk towards her. He stopped a few steps away, his hand outstretched.

"Come with me."

"Where?"

"I can't tell you. Not yet." And he couldn't. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but he knew Plutarch wasn't entirely sure of her. He had told Haymitch not to say anything, and he would respect that. "Please, sweetheart," his tone lacked the usual sarcasm that laced that word, and he could see something in her eyes flicker. "Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." She whispered, and Haymitch nodded.

"Then come with me."

She looked him in the eyes, and he could see her thoughts racing around. Then, he felt her hand join his, and he folded his fingers around it. He pulled her up, and walked swiftly to the door. He led her through the corridors, making sure he kept his pace steady and even so as not to give anything away.

They reached the roof of the training centre just as the ladder dropped from the hovercraft. Plutarch, who had arrived before them, turned. He frowned when he saw Effie.

"I didn't know you were bringing company, Haymitch."

"We can discuss this later." Haymitch said firmly. "We need to go."

As he was talking, he guided Effie towards the ladder. She hesitated, looking at him, and started to climb when he nodded. As Haymitch went to follow her, he felt a hand on his arm.

"Are you sure about this?" Plutarch said quietly, and Haymitch didn't even hesitate before he nodded.

"Yes."

"You really trust her?"

"With my life." Only then as he spoke the words aloud did he realise just how true they were.

He and Effie may have got off to a bad start when she was first placed as the escort for District 12, and it certainly hadn't got any better for a long time. But whenever he got himself too drunk at one of the parties she forced him to go to, she would quietly take him back to the penthouse. Of course they argued when they were back there more often than not, but she never made a scene. There were other things, too. He was not one to hold back his thoughts about the Capitol, in particular President Snow, and especially not when drunk, but no matter what he said, Effie had never reported him. He didn't know why, but she had kept him safe. Perhaps it was just that she felt it was her duty and responsibility as the escort for his District, but whatever the reason he had a lot to thank her for. And now, over the past year, he knew she cared as much for Katniss and Peeta as he did. So yes, he trusted her.

"Ok." Plutarch conceded, releasing Haymitch's arm and allowing him to ascend the ladder.

Plutarch waited for a moment, not wanting to put too much weight on the ladder at one time. He hadn't been pleased when Haymitch arrived with Effie. As far as he was concerned, she was just another Capitolite, head in the clouds and oblivious to everything around her. But when he questioned Haymitch just then, he had seen something in the other man's eyes. He cared for her. He cared what happened to her. And, most importantly to Plutarch, he really did trust her.


	2. Never Meet Your Idols

"And finally, Haymitch Abernathy."

14-year-old Effie Trinket found herself leaning forwards as she watched a boy step forwards. He didn't seem to be much older than her, and looked in fairly good health as far as kids from District 12 went. His hair was dark and curly, and unlike the other tributes reaped from 12 he walked with confidence. Yet more than this, it was his eyes that Effie noticed. They were bright grey in colour, and yet despite the light colour there was something dark within them, something almost dangerous. A chill ran down Effie's spine as she stared, her eyes never leaving Haymitch's face even as the cameras zoomed out to get a shot of all four tributes standing alongside each other.

It was always interesting when a tribute from an outlying District such as 11 or 12 progressed beyond the first few nights of the Games, and Effie enjoyed watching those moments as much as the next person. She had never rooted for a tribute from one of these Districts to win. This year, though, she had a feeling she would be.

"So, who do you think will win?" Wisatalia Valentine asked.

It was the evening after the reaping, and Effie and her friends had met up at Effie's house in order to get ready for the party that would mark the start of the 50th Hunger Games. Being under 18, they wouldn't be allowed at the same party as the adults, though as they were all 14 they would finally be allowed at the youths' party, as opposed to the childrens' party they had all attended in the years before.

"I think that blonde girl from District 1 looks tough." Aurelia Ruse commented, adjusting her emerald coloured wig in one of the mirrors.

"Shimmer." Marcella Wellgood nodded, applying another coat of her burnt orange lipstick. "I wouldn't be surprised if she wins, though I think that Ashlar from District 2 will be the victor. Did you see his muscles?"

The four girls laughed.

"I hope it's him just because of those muscles!" Wistalia grinned as she put a silver jewelled hair side into her dark purple wig. "How about you Effie?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, sitting on her bed as she slipped on a pair of metallic dark grey shoes with silver rhinestones covering the heels. "Honestly, I think that boy from 12 has a good chance. Haymitch?"

Aurelia and Marcella laughed, though Wistalia nodded thoughtfully. "I'll admit he looks like he has more of a chance than the average tribute from 12." She agreed. "I'm not sure he could win, though."

"There was just something in the way he walked." Effie said, shaking her head. "He looked determined, not scared. He'll be interesting to watch at the very least."

"He is rather good looking." Marcella admitted, causing the four girls to once again break into laughter.

"Oh, Cella." Aurelia shook her head in amusement. "You have gone utterly boy crazy this year!"

"I'm catching up with you then, Lia!" Marcella grinned as Aurelia smiled with an exaggerated innocence before bursting out laughing.

As was their tradition, the four girls spent the next few days at the train station, cheering and waving as the tributes arrived. It was always fun to catch a first real glimpse of them, and it was interesting to see how they acted. District 1 tributes always encouraged the applause of the crowds, as did the tributes from 2, 3 and 4. They were known as the career tributes, and they loved to try and endear the crowd from the start in the hopes they would get more sponsors. The confidence with which the tributes arrived typically lessened from District 5 onwards, to the point that District 11 and 12 tributes usually just gave a shy or nervous smile and a small wave.

As the train from District 12 rolled in to the station and the tributes disembarked, Effie's eyes immediately caught sight of Haymitch Abernathy. Not that she had been looking for him or anything. Now that she saw him in person, Effie could see that his hair was a dark blonde, not brown as she had originally thought. Unlike his fellow tributes, who were standing around awkwardly, giving a few nervous waves to the crowd as they waited for their escort to tell them where to go, Haymitch stood tall, his expression impassive. He made no move to smile or wave to the crowds despite the people shouting his name.

He scored a 10 in the training, though as always no one knew what any of the tributes had done. Still, for a tribute from District 12 to score above a 6 was impressive enough, let alone a 10. Effie was with her friends when the scores were announced, and they all turned to look at her before nodding. They hadn't thought much of it when she said she thought he could be in with a chance of winning, but with a score like that? Perhaps they shouldn't write him off just yet.

In the interviews, Haymitch was much the same as he was when he arrived in the Capitol, with an almost superior act. Though this time he did actually have to talk, which he did in a very matter of fact way as he deemed the other tributes to be stupid. And yet, Effie remained intrigued. Though he portrayed himself as arrogant, she felt certain there was something more to him.

The Games that year were interesting to say the least, with the final two being Shimmer, the girl from District 1 that Lia had picked as a winner, and Haymitch. Unfortunately for Cella, Ashlar from District 2 had been killed early on. He may have had some very nice muscles, as Cella and Wistalia had pointed out, but it turned out his brains weren't quite as big and he ended up poisoning himself.

There was silence everywhere in the Capitol as Haymitch and Shimmer came face to face. The final battle was always the most exciting. Effie and her friends stared transfixed at the screen, watching as the two final tributes fought, with both managing to inflict some almost certainly fatal wounds on each other before Shimmer managed to disarm Haymitch. He fled, collapsing on the edge of a cliff just as Shimmer through her axe. It sailed over the top of him and down into the abyss. It seemed now that it was just a waiting game to see who would outlast the other… until the axe Shimmer had thrown flew back over the edge of the cliff and buried itself in her head. The canon had sounded before she had even finished falling down.

Even as his victory was celebrated, Haymitch never smiled. If anything, he seemed moodier than ever. During the victory tour, he gave the necessary speeches required of him though in such a flat tone of voice that Effie was certain he hadn't written a word of them himself.

As the years passed, Effie worked her way into the escort's training academy and successfully completed the training programme there before finally getting a job as the escort for District 12. It wasn't the best position, given that they hadn't had a victor since Haymitch won 15 years ago, but some small part of Effie was excited. Finally, she would get to meet the boy she had found so intriguing when she was younger. His piercing grey eyes had haunted her dreams on more than one occasion over the years, most often around the start of the Games each year.

She didn't get a chance to see him before the reaping ceremony, what with the train having encountered a few minor delays on the way. He was present at the ceremony of course, but with her giving the traditional speech and selecting the tributes she hardly had the time to introduce herself.

It wasn't until they were on the train back to the Capitol that evening that Effie got her chance.

She left the two 17-year-old tributes in the lounge as she went to search for Haymitch. In the end, she found him in the bar car, sat in an armchair with a glass of brandy in his hand. His hair was longer, lighter and less curly now, though his eyes were still as striking as ever. Effie pushed open the door, smiling almost nervously.

"Hello." She said, proud of the way her voice didn't shake despite the fact that the 14-year-old girl inside of her was bouncing around in excitement at meeting the victor of the 50th Hunger Games. "I'm Effie, Effie Trinket. I'm the new escort for District 12."

Haymitch looked at her, his grey eyes seeming to take in everything and nothing at the same time as he took a sip from his drink.

"So, you're the new person who's gonna be choosing kids for the slaughter." Haymitch drawled at last.

Effie blinked, taken aback slightly.

"Um… I… I pick the tributes names from the reaping bowl." She stammered.

"Like I said." Haymitch took another sip of his drink. "Picking them for slaughter."

"Not necessarily." Effie shook her head, ignoring the term 'slaughter'. "Not all the tributes die. You didn't." She smiled. "I remember watching the Games when you won."

She was hoping that Haymitch would give her some sort of positive reaction to that. She didn't expect the short, dark laugh that he gave.

"No one ever wins the games, princess."

And with that, he stood, refilling his glass before he exited the bar car, leaving Effie standing alone.


	3. Overprotective

**A/N: CONTAINS POSSIBLE MOCKINGJAY PART 2 SPOILER**

 **Not sure how I feel about this one. Went to see Mockingjay Part 2 again last night and during the assassination scene, I kind of wondered where Haymitch got to when the crowd all kind of became one massive mob and Katniss was dragged off and then I couldn't stop thinking about it on my way home and so cue a very tired me sat at my laptop just after midnight typing away.**

 **So let me know what you think, I figured I'd post it anyway just because!**

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Haymitch knew what Katniss was planning from the moment their eyes locked in the Victor's meeting earlier that day. So while the rest of Panem stood in shock for a second after Coin fell, he immediately started to move forwards. A beat later, and the commotion began.

Beside him, he was vaguely aware of Peeta running towards Katniss. Good. He was confident that Peeta was no longer a threat to Katniss, and he knew she wouldn't come to any harm anyway. She would be taken away, but she wouldn't receive any punishment. He and Plutarch would see to that, as would Paylor who would inevitably be voted in as the new President.

For now, his priority was on someone else.

He reached the steps and hurried up them, ignoring Alma Coin's lifeless body and the guards who were coming down to check if there was any chance of saving her.

Effie was standing, frozen to the spot. She, like everyone else here, hadn't known what was about to happen and she didn't know what to do with herself. Haymitch grabbed her wrist gently as he reached her, and she turned her head to look at him.

"Come on." He said, before pulling her back inside the building, the noise of the mob becoming muffled as he closed the door behind them.

It wasn't that he thought she would come to any harm, but he couldn't be certain of it. The crowds outside had surged forwards, towards President Snow. It was almost a mercy for the man that he had been choking to death on his own blood anyway. But when Snow was sorted, what then? There was always a chance they could turn on those who were in a position of authority, wondering why they hadn't taken precautions or demanding other ridiculous answers. He hoped they wouldn't, of course, but given that the war was only just over he knew it could be easy to get the people riled up.

He didn't want Effie to get hurt. He had come to care for her too much to even let there be the slightest chance of her being in harm's way. Perhaps he was being overprotective, but he had lost too many people over the years, and he would be damned if he was going to lose her as well.


	4. A Birthday in 13

**A/N:** Random little idea that came to me at work today, and seeing as I had a bit of time due to my boss and colleague being off ill meaning it's just me, thought I may as well type it up!

Not sure how much updating this collection will get, I have a chapter already written that will be added probably Christmas Eve depending on time, but at the very latest it will be up by the end of Boxing Day.

I do, however, have another story that will be getting updated daily from now up to and including Christmas Day. It's called "25 Days of Hayffie" which is, surprise surprise, 25 short chapters about Haymitch and Effie's first Christmas together in District 12. I would love if you guys would check it out and let me know what you think :)

For now, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to everyone who has favourited/followed/reviewed so far - love you all!

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"Happy birthday to me." Effie muttered as she wrapped her hair up in the grey headscarf. Her eyes flickered across the room to the pink dress she had been wearing when she arrived in District 13, and she sighed. She knew that the rebellion was necessary. Things had gone too far, and they needed to come to an end. She knew as well that her place was here, at Katniss' side. But that didn't make the living situation in 13 any easier. Having grown up in a brightly coloured rainbow of a world, the bleak grey that was everywhere in this underground city was difficult to adjust to.

As she finished tying the headscarf, she took a final glance at herself in the mirror, sighing once more, before leaving her compartment to face the day. Back in the Capitol, Effie never would have dreamed of leaving her apartment without a wig and a face full of makeup. Here, she had no choice. The headscarf was an alright substitute for the wigs, she supposed, but there was no alternative here that could replace the makeup. Still, she had been here for a while now and didn't find it quite so terrible as she had when she first arrived.

The day went by much the same as any other. Nothing ever changed here much; it was all about routine and order. Not that Effie minded the latter too much – as an escort she had been trained to keep things on schedule – but weeks of doing the same thing day after day definitely became tedious.

So it was that Effie's days consisted of meetings where the discussion focussed on the situation in the other Districts, possible strategies for progression, and the Mockingjay. _Katniss_ , Effie would think to herself whenever people referred to the girl by this title. It was Katniss.

Dinner was probably the highlight of Effie's day, when she got to spend a little time with the people she cared about away from the confines of the meeting rooms. It also meant that the meetings were over for another day. At least that was the case most of the time, though unfortunately it wasn't unusual for extra meetings to be held in the evenings if President Coin felt she had something of importance to say.

Effie was just starting to untie her headscarf that evening when a knock sounded at her door. She sighed, securing the knot once again before opening the door.

"Plutarch." She said by way of greeting.

"Good evening, Effie." Plutarch nodded. "Your presence is required in meeting room 3."

Effie nodded, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, and stepped out of her compartment, sliding the door closed behind her.

It didn't take them long to reach the meeting room, and Plutarch pushed open the door and entered, holding it open for Effie.

"Surprise!"

She took a step back, blinking a few times. Instead of the usual people she saw in the meetings, the room was filled with people she actually liked. Katniss was there, smiling despite the still obvious bruising around her neck that had been inflicted by Peeta, and so was her friend Gale, whom Effie had become quite fond of. Katniss' mother and younger sister stood on Katniss' other side.

There were a few of the old Capitol faces: Cressida, Castor and Pollux, and of course Plutarch who had moved away from the door to stand with them.

Finnick was standing with his arms around Annie, and Johanna stood with them, her eyes filled with laughter that suggested she was enjoying this even if she would never admit to it.

And finally, Haymitch. He was standing with the other victors, smiling.

"This doesn't look very professional." Effie remarked, trying her hardest to keep her lips from curving up into a smile. Everyone laughed.

Katniss stepped forwards first.

"Happy birthday Effie."

"Thank you, my girl." Effie said softly as the two hugged.

"It was Haymitch's idea, by the way." Katniss whispered before pulling away, nodding. She knew her mentor would never take credit for the idea, but she felt he deserved for Effie to know what he had done for her.

More hugs and birthday wishes followed and gradually everyone started to mingle. Somehow, no doubt by way of Plutarch pulling a few strings with President Coin, they had managed to get a small selection of sandwiches and even a few cakes.

At last Haymitch came over to Effie.

"Happy birthday." He smiled.

"Thank you." She met his eyes. "And thank you for all of this."

"How did you…"

"A little bird told me."

"Ah. It wouldn't have been a certain Mockingjay by any chance, now, would it?" He shook his head, though his grey eyes were sparkling as the pair laughed.

"Seriously, though. Thank you."

"It's not much." Haymitch shrugged nonchalantly. "It's definitely nothing like the parties in the Capitol, but…"

"It's perfect."


End file.
